Android

Honor has launched 2 new products today (August 5, 2021): a new pair of TWS earbuds and a smartphone. The Play 5T Pro has a 6.6-inch display, driven by a MediaTek processor, and a larger battery compared to the existing Play 5. Similarly, the Earbuds 2 Lite are rated for up to 32 hours of use on a single charge, and for active noise cancellation (ANC).

The latest market research indicates that the brand Realme has passed an important milestone: 100 million units sold worldwide. Furthermore, it has broken the record for the time taken to sell this many devices. Realme is now in the top 10 smartphone OEMs worldwide.

After leapfrogging Apple to become the second-biggest smartphone brand in the world in Q2 '21, it appears Xiaomi temporarily sat at the top of the charts. A new report by Counterpoint reveals that the Chinese company was actually the best-selling smartphone company in the world in June.

iQOO has confirmed that it will launch new, 8-series premium Android smartphones in mid-August 2021. It has also teased these phones with the announcement that they will launch with new, "E5" display panels with high pixel densities and 10-bit color. The 8 and possible 8 Pro are also said to come with a variable refresh rate and DC dimming.

Samsung has announced that it is taking orders for its Galaxy S7 Tab Fan Edition (FE) in the US from today (August 5, 2021). The tablet will be available in its Wi-Fi and 5G variants, the former of which is offered in a variety of colors whereas the latter comes in just one. They start at US$529 for the non-cellular version.

Nvidia’s plans to acquire UK-based chip designer Arm in a deal worth US$40 billion looks like it could be unraveling. A security assessment undertaken by the UK government has raised national security concerns. This follows suggestions that other regulators, including the European Commission could also terminate the deal.

Lenovo is now slated to augment its Tab P-series tablet series with a new variant soon. This "P12 Pro" is painted as a device with a former flagship processor - which is a surprise as its predecessor has a mid-range SoC. It is also depicted as having more RAM and running Android 11.

On August 12, Honor plans not only to unveil the Magic3, a flagship handset, but also the Honor X20 5G. The upcoming mid-range smartphone of the former Huawei subsidiary has already leaked and has been teased by Honor directly. A retailer listing has confirmed many specifications for the Honor X20 5G, too.

The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will come with a dozen exclusive wallpapers influenced by Google's new 'Material You' design language. All hide the new centred-notch in various ways, although none are live wallpapers. The wallpapers also reveal the resolutions of both Pixel 6 series smartphones.

OPPO has just unveiled the latest generation of its under-display camera technology for smartphone screens. The OEM claims to have made great strides since the last time it showcased its developments in this trendy spec. They include a new pixel-matrix that help it blend effectively into the rest of a given panel.

Some previous leaks have hinted that the Honor V7 Pro is coming for the iPad Pro in terms of design; now, its latest teaser suggests that it also wants to rival this premium slate with respect to its compatible add-ons. They consist of a suspiciously Magic-looking keyboard dock and a sleek new stylus.

Finally, Xiaomi is sending out the MIUI 12.5 update to its current cash cow, the Redmi Note 10. At the moment, the update is exclusive to Global ROM models of the mid-range phone, but is already in the stable stage, so will not take long to get to all owners of that model.

Qualcomm looks like it is preparing a new Snapdragon Wear chip to coincide with the launch of Google and Samsung’s Wear OS 3. The new chip appears to carry the Snapdragon Wear 5100 branding that would make the successor to last year’s Snapdragon Wear 4100.

A new device has gone up in flames, this time the recently launched OnePlus Nord 2. A user has now reported that their wife's Nord 2 "spontaneously" went up in flames while cycling, with OnePlus reaching out a while ago.

The large 6.36-inch smartphone even integrates a copper heat pipe to prolong SoC performance when gaming. The low $299 price point is temporary to form now until August 9 to attract early adopters.

An incredible video clip of the upcoming Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 has been leaked just as the company finally announced a release date for the smartphone. The Mi Mix 4’s flexible screen panel is being tested in the video, which also reveals just how well hidden the front-facing under-display camera (UDC) is.

Chuwi has started selling the HiPad Pro, its latest Android tablet. The 10.8-inch device is relatively affordable too, in part thanks to its mid-range Qualcomm SoC. The HiPad Pro is available to order now with a keyboard, pen or both.

Google may have announced the Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro to the world, but only a few countries will receive the flagship smartphones. Unfortunately, the Pixel 6 series will be available in fewer countries than the Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5.

We may be a little over a week away from Samsung's next Galaxy Unpacked event, but Evan Blass has discovered European prices for all of the company's upcoming hardware. As expected, the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Flip 3 are cheaper than their predecessors, as is the Galaxy Buds 2. The Galaxy Watch 4 series will start at €279, too.

Realme MagDart is now officially this OEM's answer to similar ecosystems such as Apple's MagSafe. Accordingly, it has been revealed to include products such as an ultra-slim wireless charger for phones such as the flagship GT, as well as a magnetic wallet and power-bank. They are joined by 4 additional products, all in the series' new pale-silver livery.

Google teased its upcoming Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro smartphones yesterday, and it looks like the company is aiming to compete in the intensely competitive Android flagship territory. The Pixel 6 and Pixel 6 Pro will be powered by Google's new Tensor SoC designed for accelerating AI and ML applications, but other specifications of the chip are not yet known.

Samsung sales are declining. The company has recorded mostly negative sales metrics this year, and a new report estimates that the Galaxy S21 series has sold rather poorly, showing a 20% drop versus the S20 lineup, and a massive 47% decline when compared to the Galaxy S10 series.

Xiaomi's CEO, Lei Jun, is reportedly planning to address the OEM's fans during an upcoming August 2021 speech. This announcement has led to rumors that the executive will unveil 2 of the company's most hotly-awaited new devices during this event: the Mi Pad 5 and Mi Mix 4 smartphone. It is also possible that new members of the CC series could follow shortly.

Honor has dropped another official teaser concerning its upcoming Magic3 smartphone series. This one includes heavy hints that one of its variants will have no less than 5 rear cameras. It is said to include individual high-resolution lenses, 3 64MP shooters included.

According to reports, Samsung will launch two new flagship ISOCELL camera sensors next month. Apparently, Samsung will distribute a long-awaited 200 MP camera sensor to its partners, such as Xiaomi, along with a 50 MP sensor that is also destined for the Galaxy S22 series.

OPPO is one of a handful of OEMs that has confirmed it is working on under-display camera (UDC) technology for the screens of its next-gen smartphone brands. Now, some teasers emanating from the company's native China suggest it is just about to reveal its inaugural UDC device. It may have to compete with devices such as the Xiaomi Mi Mix 4 on its launch

While Samsung recorded a 7 percent drop over last year's second quarter, Xiaomi managed to achieve a solid climb of over 67 percent in the European market. This allowed the Chinese OEM to come first with 12.7 million units shipped in Q2 2021, while Samsung only shipped 12 million handsets in the region.

Rumors that Xiaomi would release MIUI 13 this month have now been soundly disproven, with CEO Lei Jun announcing, a few hours ago, that the company will release MIUI 13 at the end of the year. The Mi 12 will likely be the first device to launch with that iteration of Xiaomi's skin, while the Mi 11 series can be expected to get updates first.

Google's new custom-made chipset, Tensor, will power the Pixel 6 series. Not much was revealed about the manufacturing behind Tensor, but a new report indicates that it's built on Samsung's 5 nm node. The Snapdragon 888 also is, and has gained a reputation for overheating.

A new leak concerning the upcoming Xiaomi Mi 11T should please users who were tempted by the previous Mi 10T generation but may have been put off by the presence of an LCD screen. According to a noted tipster, the phones in the Mi 11T range will be fitted with up to 120 Hz-capable OLED panels.

With its new smartphones, Nokia is making an effort to become more environmentally friendly. We just reviewed the Nokia X10, and we'd like to summarize how eco-friendly the device really is.

The famous leaker Evan Blass claims to confirm recent rumors of Nokia's plan to break into the tablet market soon. The tipster asserts that this putative T20 is one of the HMD Global brand's next four upcoming products. Blass also now notes that each one has its own code-name: for example, the alleged slate is also apparently called the "Riddler".

While Samsung retains its traditional place as the king of the hill, the company saw a significant decline in quarterly sales, with Xiaomi, on the other hand, recording a mind-boggling 98% rise in YoY shipments on its way to toppling Apple from just beneath Samsung—all thanks to strong Redmi Note 10 and Mi 11 sales.

As part of the company's efforts to keep Android users safe, Google has decided to no longer allow sign-in on services like Gmail, Maps, or YouTube for devices still stuck with versions up to 2.3.7 of its mobile operating system. Fortunately, devices on Android 3.0 and later will remain on the safe side.

Fans of high-end TWS earphones with active noise cancelling now have a new choice. Bang & Olufsen has launched the Beoplay EQ which are the first TWS earphones from the company to feature ANC coupled with its signature premium sound.

The Xiaomi Mi 11T Pro seems to be heading rapidly towards release as the device has been specifically named in a couple of newly unearthed listings. The model number was previously associated with the Mi 11T and a Snapdragon 888 processor. It’s likely Xiaomi will also release a Mi 11T Lite model.

Shortly after the release of MIUI 12.5.1, Xiaomi is now rolling out the version 12.5.3 software update to Mi 10T Pro handsets. In addition to the security patch dated June 2021, this new firmware refresh also promises to provide "increased system security" but, unfortunately, the official changelog stops here.

Realme is now tipped to launch a phone called the 8s soon. It is painted as a refresh for the pre-existing 8 5G, albeit with a heretofore-unheard of MediaTek Dimensity 810 processor. Therefore, it might still have up-to-date connectivity with a 90Hz display and a generous 5,000mAh battery.

The latest versions of the Comply Foam TrueGrip Pro Tips 2.0 are made for Google's latest Pixel Buds A. Therefore, these TWS accessories now have third-party add-ons geared at improved fit and comfort, due to their memory foam-based construction. The new Comply tips are also compatible with the original Pixel Buds, and are on sale from now.

AMOLED and UIs with dark modes have skyrocketed in popularity in the smartphone market over the years, mainly based on the idea that both are easier on battery life, particularly when combined. A new study published by Purdue University engineers question this rationale, albeit under certain conditions only.

Samsung will launch its newest TWS earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2, later this month. Details, images, and pricing of the Buds 2 have now been revealed ahead of launch, with one notable perk being the presence of active noise cancellation.

Qualcomm’s Smartphone for Snapdragon Insiders is now available for pre-order. The high-end niche device is retailing for US$1,499 but the bundle includes a set of TWS earbuds from Master & Dynamic, a 65 Watt charger and a bumper case for the device.

OnePlus has released its shipment stats for the first half of 2021 (1H2021). The OEM claims that they have increased by 428% in the US, a greater amount of growth compared to all other brands in that market. This success is based on sales of the Nord N100 and N200 as well as the flagship 9 series.

Micron has put its latest kind of flash storage for mobile devices into production. It has the OEM's state-of-the-art 176-layer NAND technology, as well as the most up-to-date UFS 3.1 read and write speeds. The brand Honor has lost no time in announcing that its upcoming Magic3 flagship series will debut with this spec.

iQOO is now slated to be the first brand to launch an Android phone based on the latest top-end Snapdragon 888+ chipset. New leaks now also assert that it - or possibly its Pro version - will come with a display with a 2K resolution and the up-to-date LTPO spec, not to mention the ability to automatically adjust its refresh rate between 1 and 120 hertz (Hz).

Samsung is thought to launch a new Galaxy Z Flip clamshell-style foldable phone in August 2021. Now, a new leak suggests the OEM has put more thought into cases for this device compared to those of yesteryear. The tip purports to outline these accessories' color choices, designs and newly-developed attachments in some cases.

It has been reported that MIUI 13’s release has been delayed. Apparently, Xiaomi’s Android overlay requires additional polishing, meaning the Mi Mix 4 and Mi Pad 5 will likely launch with MIUI 12.5 as OS. Meanwhile, more POCO and Redmi devices have purportedly joined the internal Android 12 beta testing phase.

The latest specs rumor about the Xiaomi Mi 12 has concentrated on its memory type. Unsurprisingly, it’s expected that the Mi 12 will sport the brand-new LPDDR5X RAM that has just been announced by JEDEC. This latest improvement offers up to over 33% faster data transfer rates than the LPDDR5 RAM found in phones like the Xiaomi Mi 11.